Loading and unloading equipment for motor scraper

ABSTRACT

An earth scraper is provided with a bucket adjustable mounted between two tractor units for loading and unloading operations in either direction. The bucket is provided with a movable transverse partition supported and guided by a pair of outwardly turned channel shaped flanges on either side of the bucket and the drive mechanism for moving the partition is protectively disposed within the channel shaped flanges.

United States Patent Inventor Pierre Lajoye 40 rue de la Vacquinlere,Montlgny Les Metz, France Appl. No. 847,950

Filed Aug. 6, l 969 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Priority Aug. 6, 1968 FranceLOADING AND UNLOADING EQUIPMENT FOR MOTOR SCRAPER 6 Claims, 12 DrawingFigs.

US. Cl 37/127, 37/ 1 26 E Int. Cl B60p l/16, E02f 1/00 Field of Search37/8, 126,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,490,310 12/1949 LeTourneau 37/127 2,505,202 4/1950 Peterson 37/127 2,654,165 10/1953Lichtenberg 37/126 2,872,747 2/1959 Cline 37/124 3,131,493 5/1964 LeTourneau. 37/124 3,163,946 1/1965 Potgieter... 37/129 3,346,975 10/1967Lajoye 37/127 UX 3,483 ,644 12/1969 Potgieter 37/127 PrimaryExaminer-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-C1ifford D. CrowderAttorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak ABSTRACT: An earthscraper is provided with a bucket adjustable mounted between two tractorunits for loading and unloading operations in either direction. Thebucket is provided with a movable transverse partition supported andguided by a pair of outwardly turned channel shaped flanges on eitherside of the bucket and the drive mechanism for moving the partition isprotectively disposed within the channel shaped flanges.

PATENTEH JAM I I972 SHEET 1 BF 2 PATENTEHJMH 1 m2 SHEET 2 OF 2 J5IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIfiIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIfl 3 LOADING AND UNLOADINGEQUIPMENT FOR MOTOR SCRAPER In a conventional arrangement, asingle-ended motor scraper comprises a conveyor bucket or loader towedby a two-wheeled tractor coupled thereto at the front end. The loaderrests at the rear on an axle having free wheels or driven wheels whichcannot be steered. To discharge collected material, the interior of thebucket is provided with a displaceable transverse partition which ismoved forward by a mechanism for unloading the bucket. The mechanism canthen move the partition rearwardly into contact with the rear transversewall of the scraper where it will remain during loading operations. Themovements of the partition are controlled by a centrally locatedhydraulic jack or rack and pinion mechanism which passes through therear wall and extends beyond it. Thus, motor scrapers of known typesmost frequently comprise a center jack prominently projecting above orbelow the rear axle of the loader which is an impediment in certaincircumstances.

The object of the present invention is to avoid this disadvantage whichprevents the loading and unloading of a reversible motor scraper usingtwo tractors, each having two wheels, at the front and rear of thebucket. Such a motor scraper comprises a center bucket coupled to a pairof two-wheeled tractors, one at the front and the other at the rear. Itis known that this arrangement makes it possible to obtain a motorscraper of great power capable of moving in either direction, andcapable of effecting maneuvers, which cannot usually be performed withconventional motor scrapers. It is obvious that the projection and usualposition of the center jack which actuates the partition ofaconventional loader, would not permit the normal functioning of areversible motor scraper which comprises, at each end of the loader, ascraping blade and an articulated loading door, which door remainsclosed during transport and is raised when loading or unloading.

A loading and unloading mechanism according to the present inventioncomprises a displaceable transverse partition within the bucket orloader, and is characterized in that the upper edges of the twolongitudinal walls of the bucket are each provided with a longitudinalrolling or sliding channel for a truck, the two trucks beingtransversely connected by the displaceable partition and each beingcapable of displacement by means located within the rolling or slidingchannel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention thestraight upper edges of the sidewalls of the bucket are turned outwardlyso that each forms a longitudinal channel serving simultaneously tostiffen or reinforce the walls of the bucket and as a protecting hoodfor the displacement mechanism of the partition. This mechanism may beone or more hydraulic or pneumatic jacks, a screw system, a rack andpinion device, or the like.

The accompanying drawings will enable the features of the presentinvention to be more clearly understood:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a reversible scraper according to theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section ofthe line II-ll of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the scraper and the members which connect itto the two-wheeled tractors.

FIG. 4 is a partial longitudinal section of the upper part of thescraper and its partition, showing the displacement mechanism operatedby jacks and the rack synchronization mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectiomcorresponding to FIG. 2 showing on amagnified scale the details of one of the upper edges ofthe bucket.

FIG. 6 is an alternative construction for the synchronization rack.

FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an elevation showing schematically a reversible motor scraperassembly in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 9 is a construction alternative to FIG. 4 in which the displacementof the partition is effected by a rack mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a further alternative having a male and female screw action.

FIG. 11 shows a method by which a motor scraper according to theinvention can unload its material.

FIG. 12 shows another type of work which may be performed by thescraper.

FIG. 8 shows a reversible motor scraper comprising a pair of two-wheeledtractors l and 2 arranged back to back and carrying a center bucket orloader 3 therebetween. The coupling of the bucket by two horizontalarticulated shafts 4 and 5 and its control by jacks 6 and 7 are alreadyknown. It is also known to provide at each end of the loader 3 a movabledoor 8, 9 and a scraper blade 10, 11. The bucket 3 is a container. theplan view of which is rectangular (FIG. 1) and the upper edges of thetwo longitudinal walls 12 and 13 are each provided with a rolling orsliding channel l4, 15 over which trucks 16, 17 move. The two trucks 16and 17 are connected together by a transverse partition 18 which ismovable within the bucket 3.

According to one embodiment, the two trucks 16, 17, and the partition 18form a single rigid member capable of displacement in either direction,as shown by the arrow 19 in FIG. 1. According to another embodiment, thetrucks l6 and 17 are linked to vertical shafts (not shown) placed oneach side of the partition 18 and in this case, the partition 18 and thetwo trucks 16 and 17 are displaced like an articulated girder.

The length 20 of each of the trucks 16 and 17 is sufficient to ensure astrong vertical seat for the displaceable partition 18, the longitudinaldisplacement of which effects emptying of the center bucket 3. Thetrucks l6 and 17 are symmetrical, both relative to the vertical planedefined by transverse partition 18 and relative to the centerlongitudinal plane 21 of the bucket 3. They are sufficiently raised attheir center portion which projects above the side edges 14 and 15 (FIG.3) to effect a firm connection with the displaceable partition 18 andenable the latter to withstand the pressure of the loaded material. Theprojection of the partition 18 and the trucks 16 and 17 above the edges14 and 15 of the bucket 3 also ensures correct and complete emptying ofthe material which may be heaped up on each side of partition 18.

The rolling and sliding channels 14 and 15 are sufficiently rigid towithstand the bending action imposed thereon by the weight of thematerial to be unloaded and they also act as borders for thedisplaceable partition 18. It is an advantage to protect the mechanismswithin these lateral sliding or rolling channels and thus they may beformed as shown in FIG. 5. In this case the straight upper edge of thesidewall 12 of the bucket is turned outwardly downwardly, inwardly andupwardly so as to form a longitudinal channel serving both as areinforcement for the walls of the bucket 3 and as a hood to protect thedisplacement mechanism. The rolling or sliding members are accommodatedwithin this channel. In the case of FIG. 5, sliding means 22 are shown.The displacement members for the truck 16 are formed by two multipletelescopic jacks 23 and 24 which are disposed within the channel 14.When the partition is pushed to one end by one of the jacks, theopposing jack is telescoped within itself to permit the partition toreach the end of its travel. However, the bodies of the jacks may alsoproject from the opposite ends of the bucket. The same method ofassembly applies to the truck 17 and its sliding or rolling channel 15.

It will be apparent that the outer casing 25 of the trucks l6 and 17 isbent inwardly at its lower portion (FIG. 5) under the tumed-over edge ofthe rolling or sliding channel 14 or 15, thus ensuring good protectionof the displaceable members.

The telescopic jacks are arranged in two pairs 23 and 24. Each pairworks in opposition. To ensure perfectly uniform displacement of thepartition 18 (to prevent a slanted position which would be prejudicialparticularly in the case of a rigid connection between 16, 17, 18), eachtruck 16 and 17 has a pinion such as 26 (FIGS. 4 and 5) which mesheswith a fixed longitudinal rack 27. Each of the racks 27 is disposedunder the upper edge of the rolling or sliding channel 14 or 15 withwhich it corresponds. Synchronization of the two pinions 26 is ensuredby a transverse shaft 42 which rotates loosely in the upper part of thedisplaceable partition 18 and on each end of shaft 42 a pinion 43 iskeyed. Trains of pinions 44, 45 and 46 provide a geared connectionbetween each pinion 43 and the corresponding pinion 26 which in turnmeshes with rack 27.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 the rack 47, which is equivalent to rack 27 in FIG. 5,is mounted on the upper surface of the channel along the top edge of thesidewall and is disposed in direct meshing engagement with pinion 43.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the displacement mechanism ofthe transverse partition 18. In this case each channel 14, comprises aninverted rack 28 with which a pinion 29 meshes. This pinion 29 islocated within the corresponding truck 16 or 17. The two pinions 29 arekeyed on the same transverse shaft and rotated by a reduction drive (notshown) supported by the displaceable partition 18.

In FIG. 10, the movements of the partition 18 are controlled by a malescrew 30 and a female screw 31. A screw 30 is disposed in each channell4, 15, while a female screw 31 is disposed in each truck 16 or 17. Twoembodiments are possible in which the screws 30 are rotated in femalescrews 31 fixed to the trucks, or the screws 30 are stationary while thefemale screws 31 are rotated by a reduction drive or by two electricallysynchronized reduction drives.

The construction shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 assume that the scraper has anelectric current generator, which is the case for many high poweredmotor scrapers.

The operation is as follows:

It is known that the increasing resistance to the intake of materials inthe loader 3 which results from the advancing movement of the tractor,and makes it necessary to interrupt scraping, is due to the limitationof the volume of the buckets 3 of motor scrapers. With a reversiblemotor scraper fitted with a displaceable partition 18 this disadvantageis eliminated. After placing the partition 18 in a median position thatis to say, in the center of the loader 3, the apparatus can be used byfilling the two compartments 32 and 33, thus defined, in succession.When the motor scraper moves in the direction of the arrow 37, thescraped materials fill the compartment 32. When the motor scraperreturns for the following pass in the direction of the arrow 40, thematerials fill the compartment 33 of the bucket 3. Consequently it willbe seen that the arrangement according to the invention makes itpossible to double the filling capacity, even without increasing thepower consumed. Moreover the increase in the load increases the grippingpower of the driving wheels.

During the unloading of the apparatus (FIG. l1).moving in the directionof the arrow 36, the compartment 33 at the rear of the partition 18 isunloaded first. The other compartment 32 is unloaded on the return,i.e., the machine unloads to the rear relative to the direction oftravel. Consequently, the loaded materials always flow out of the bucket3 to the rear, relative to the direction of travel, while in theconventional arrangement using only one tractor, they are emptied bybeing pushed out the forward end and then flow backwardly under thebucket, a feature which is a disadvantage and requires more power foremptying. I

FIG. 12 shows a type of work for which the apparatus of the presentinvention is well suited. It is assumed that at the start the partition18 is disposed at the front of the bucket 3, while the scraper istravelling in the direction of the arrow 37. The rear compartment 33 isinitially full of material 38 which it has either loaded itself byscraping or received by decanting. The forward compartment 32 isinitially empty and of small capacity. The bucket 3 is inclined so as toscrape the ground by means of the front blade 11 and at the same rate asthe earth 39 fills the compartment 32 the partition 18 is pushed back inthe direction of the arrow 40 to empty a layer 41 of material 38 ontothe ground. Thus, by a single passage of the scraper, the ground isscraped, the forward compartment 32 is loaded, the capacity of whichincreases at the same rate as the partition 18 recedes, and due to thedisplacement of the partition 18, a layer 41 of material 38 which haspreviously been loaded, is deposited in its place. This makes itpossible to construct m a single passage a temporary macadamrzed roadafter simple removal of the layer of superficial earth.

What is claimed is:

1. A loading and unloading reversible scraper for use in earth movingand similar operations comprising, a bucket having a bottom, twolongitudinal sidewalls and transverse end walls, each of said end wallsbeing movable relative to said bottom, a transverse partitiondisplaceable within said bucket, a two-wheeled tractor connected at eachend of said bucket, the upper edges of said two longitudinal sidewallsof said bucket each being provided with a longitudinal flange meansdefining a pair of channels, a pair of trucks supported by said flangemeans and connected to opposite ends of said displaceable partition, andmeans within said channels for iongitudinally displacing said truckalong said flange means.

2. A scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said trucks areprovided with downwardly and inwardly turned flanges and means securedto said inwardly turned flanges disposed in cooperating supporting andguiding relations with said channel.

3. A scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the displacement means isformed by at least one hydraulic jack.

4. A scraper as set forth in claim 3 wherein a pair of hydraulic jacksare disposed on opposite sides of said partition in each of saidchannels.

5. A scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the displacement means iscomprised of drive pinion means mounted on said trucks and rack meansmounted on said channels, said rackand-drive pinion means being enclosedwithin said channels.

6. A scraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein said displacement means iscomprised of male screw means mounted in said channel, female screwmeans mounted in said truck and means for driving one of said male andfemale screw means.

1. A loading and unloading reversible scraper for use in earth movingand similar operations comprising, a bucket having a bottom, twolongitudinal sidewalls and transverse end walls, each of said end wallsbeing movable relative to said bottom, a transverse partitiondisplaceable within said bucket, a twowheeled tractor connected at eachend of said bucket, the upper edges of said two longitudinal sidewallsof said bucket each being provided with a longitudinal flange meansdefining a pair of channels, a pair of trucks supported by said flangemeans and connected to opposite ends of said displaceable partition, andmeans within said channels for longitudinally displacing said truckalong said flange means.
 2. A scraper as set forth in claim 1 whereineach of said trucks are provided with downwardly and inwardly turnedflanges and means secured to said inwardly turned flanges disposed incooperating supporting and guiding relations with said channel.
 3. Ascraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein the displacement means is formedby at least one hydraulic jack.
 4. A scraper as set forth in claim 3wherein a pair of hydraulic jacks are disposed on opposite sides of saidpartition in each of said channels.
 5. A scraper as set forth in claim 1wherein the displacement means is comprised of drive pinion meansmounted on said trucks and rack means mounted on said channels, saidrack-and-drive pinion means being enclosed within said channels.
 6. Ascraper as set forth in claim 1 wherein said displacement means iscomprised of male screw means mounted in said channel, female screwmeans mounted in said truck and means for driving one of said male andfemale screw means.